City Hall remains in the dark about proposed Metropolitan Police cuts following the blocked contract with Palantir, the Deputy Mayor for Policing has confirmed. The £50 million deal to use advanced artificial intelligence software for crime-solving and catching corrupt officers was recently blocked by the London Mayor over procurement concerns and value for money.
Deputy Mayor reveals lack of information
Deputy Mayor for Policing Kaya Comer-Schwartz told the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee that City Hall has not received details on potential cost-saving measures. “We haven't been provided with information that breaks them down,” she said. “We will work through and assess that when it comes forward. We've asked, but have not been given that information. We've asked before the decision, after, and we continue to do so. They haven't brought forward anything concrete yet.”
She emphasized support for the Met using new technologies but insisted on proper processes and value for money. “We have asked that a procurement process comes forward at pace - that is going to be open to anyone. We have always been in support of funding the Met, but we cannot have significant tech contracts not having the correct oversight.”
Frontline job cuts warning
Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley warned last week that up to 700 roles could be cut due to the blocked deal. Ms Comer-Schwartz described these as “headline figures” that officials are assessing, but City Hall lacks full information for decisions.
Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Gareth Roberts criticized the situation: “The Met Commissioner has warned London in the starkest possible terms that frontline policing now faces brutal cuts. It beggars belief that the Deputy Mayor for Policing has not seen the Met's list of where the axe might fall and does not even seem remotely curious about the dire choices the force now faces.”
Tensions between Met and City Hall
Sir Mark’s public comments were a rare rebuke of the Mayor, raising questions about their relationship. Ms Comer-Schwartz confirmed she still has confidence in Sir Mark but noted, “It would be preferable [to not go on the airwaves]. We are very conscious of the relationship between MOPAC and the Met - this is an anomaly, we sign off decisions all the time.”
Deputy Met Commissioner Matt Jukes criticized City Hall for making correspondence public and confirmed the need to identify 500 frontline roles to cut due to the blocked deal.
Procurement process questioned
Ms Comer-Schwartz confirmed the contract was blocked because the Met failed to produce a procurement strategy and only engaged with one company. “The Met failed to bring forward a procurement strategy and demonstrate a competitive process,” she said. “I was not satisfied that the Met had adequately demonstrated value for money during the process given that they only engaged with one company.”
Committee chair Susan Hall expressed concerns: “Londoners deserve answers on how this contract with Palantir was agreed with the Met, then blocked by the Deputy Mayor. The Commissioner has said that blocking this contract could lead to 700 frontline officer jobs being cut. After already seeing front desk closures and officer number reductions, this would be a monumental blow to London’s policing.”
Festus Akinbusoye, a former Police and Crime Commissioner, added: “Sadiq Khan's decision to block the Met's contract with Palantir raises serious questions. Faced with a choice between investing in technology that improves efficiency or making staff redundant, the Met rightly chose innovation. The unedifying public spat between London's Mayor and the police chief shows a leadership in disarray.”
The Met declined to comment.
